Women of Color and the War on Drugs: The Connection Between Disparities in Female Imprisonment and Drug Arrests

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Since 1972 the percentage of women incarcerated in U.S. prisons has risen from about 3% to almost 7%, rising twice as fast as male imprisonment. Like male imprisonment, pronounced racial and ethnic disparities exist among females, but have their own unique characteristics and changes over time. Women of color, particularly Blacks and Hispanics, have experienced drastic shifts in their rates of imprisonment, more than any other group. The disparities in incarceration are particularly stark for drug crimes, where women of color are increasingly being imprisoned. This paper examines the relationship between the War on Drugs targeting of the inner city open drug market during the height of the crack cocaine “epidemic” and the pronounced rise in imprisonment of Black and Hispanic women. The analysis of data covering all fifty states from 1978 to 2010 indicates that women of color compared to whites are more likely to be arrested for drug crimes; especially in areas where drug arrests for males is high. The results show that while women are less likely overall to be incarcerated, drug arrests are increasingly driving the growth in female imprisonment and this growth is substantially higher among women of color.

Authors

• Mark G. Harmon, Portland State University

• Breanna Boppre, University of Nevada, Las Vegas